Many computing systems use disk drive system systems for mass storage of information. Magnetic disk drives typically include one or more sliders that include a read head and a write head. An actuator/suspension arm holds the slider above a magnetic disk. The magnetic disk includes data regions and servo sectors. A voice coil motor (“VCM”) moves the actuator/suspension arm to position the slider over selected magnetically written data with the feedback of servo data. Electronics on the disk drive system include a write driver, a read signal preamplifier, a read-write channel, a controller, and firmware. The controller typically is an assortment of circuit chips connected on a printed circuit board. The controller includes one or more microprocessors, memory, servo control circuits, hard disk control circuits, spindle motor drivers, and VCM drivers. The read-write channel can include analog to digital conversion circuits, data clocks, servo clocks, and phase locked loops.
Both the data regions and servo sectors can include information that is magnetically written by the write head onto the magnetic disk and also read back by the read head from the magnetic disk. The data regions include data tracks that are available to store end-user files and disk drive system parameter data (or maintenance data). The data is written typically in 512 byte or 4 kilobyte data blocks. Each data block usually has a data sync field, the actual data (typically encoded and possibly encrypted), and error correction data. The end-user is free to store new data and later modify the data.
The servo sectors include servo data that is used to position the slider. Servo data is typically only written at the manufacturing facility and cannot be changed by the end-user. There are various techniques for writing servo data on a magnetic disk; in a typical method called self-servo writing the servo data is step-wise propagated from the inner diameter to the outer diameter using the write head to write servo data that is later used for servo track following to assist the writing of additional servo data. One complicating factor for self-servo writing (as well as normal data writing) is the radial read-write offset length (“RWO”) between the write head and the read head. The RWO changes with the slider's angular position over the magnetic disk based on the location of the read head and write head on the slider and the arc made by the actuator over the magnetic disk. Often in self-servo writing, the read head is offset toward the inner diameter from the write head and the servo data is written from the inner diameter to the outer diameter.
FIGS. 18A-18C illustrate a close-up view of a slider's 122 variable angular position over a magnetic disk. As mentioned, the slider 122 is configured with a read head 130 and a write head 140 that are operable to read from and write to the magnetic disk. When the slider 122 is positioned towards the inner diameter of the magnetic disk, the RWO 900 between the read head 130 and the write head 140 is at its smallest dimension relative to the magnetic disk. As the slider 122 moves to the center of the magnetic disk, the RWO increases (RWO 901 of FIG. 18B), reaching its maximum RWO (902) at the outer diameter of the magnetic disk in FIG. 18C.
Servo data may include a synchronization field (servo sync), a sector address mark (“SAM”), sector-ID, track-ID (sometimes called the cylinder-ID), a servo burst, a repeatable runout (“RRO”) value, and a pad. Data tracks are usually identified by a combination of the track-ID, servo burst, and/or RRO value.
The servo sync is typically the first servo data read by the read head as it passes through a servo sector. The servo sync can be used by the read-write channel to establish servo frequency and servo clock phase. Portions of the servo sync can also be used for automatic gain control in the disk drive system electronics. The servo sync can be written with either a single magnetic polarity or with an alternating polarity as demonstrated in U.S. Patent Application Pub. No. 2006/0279871A1. The servo sync is sometimes referred to as a preamble.
The servo frequency in conventional disk drive systems is constant from the inner diameter to the outer diameter of the magnetic disk. As a result of this constant frequency, the servo sectors increase in circumferential length proportional to radial location. For instance, the circumferential length of the servo sector at the outer diameter of the magnetic disk may be about twice the length of the servo sector at the inner diameter.
If a zoned servo architecture is employed, the servo frequency increases between servo zones from the inner diameter of the magnetic disk to the outer diameter. The servo frequency changes between the zones roughly with the mean radius of each servo zone. The servo frequency within each zone usually remains constant. Because the servo sector is broken into shorter radial servo zones, the circumferential length of the servo sectors does not vary as much as in the conventional servo design. The reduced variance in circumferential length when using zoned servo provides an advantage when using patterned media as the servo patterns for zoned servo can be more uniform in circumferential length from the inner diameter of the magnetic disk to the outer diameter. See U.S. patent application Ser. No. 12/699,581 (“the '581”) and the description below of Dry Planarization Design Rules #1 and #2.
Examples of zoned servo can be found in U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,178,056 FIGS. 2B and 2C; 7,012,773 FIGS. 10, 15, 20, 28 and column 11 (“the '773”); and 7,715,138 FIG. 2A. The '773 FIG. 10 demonstrates a design with a series of concentric zones making up an alternating series of normal servo zones that are single frequency (“servo zones”) and overlap zones that are dual frequency (“dual frequency zones”). In the dual frequency zones, half of the servo sectors use a first servo frequency that is the same as the bordering lower frequency servo zone while the remaining servo sectors use a second servo frequency that is the same as the bordering higher frequency servo zone. In the '773 FIG. 10 design, the servo zones and dual frequency zones are arranged in continuous radial servo sectors. FIGS. 15, 20, and 25 of the '773 demonstrate other possible zoned servo arrangements in which the servo sectors are not radially continuous.
The SAM (also called a servo address mark, start of servo mark, and servo sync byte) acts as a starting point from which to locate other servo data. For instance, the track-ID, sector-ID, and servo burst can be positioned a predefined distance from the SAM in a predefined order. The SAM is typically a unique magnetic shape so that it is more easily distinguishable by the disk drive system electronics from other magnetic information written on the magnetic disk. The SAM may not follow the same rules or constraints as other data that is written on the magnetic disk. For instance, the SAM may be written at a different frequency or otherwise differ in width and/or spacing from the other servo data.
The sector-ID is used to identify the particular servo sector as the slider circles a track. A track may have 250 or more sequential servo sectors. The sector-ID provides the controller with the circumferential position of the slider. The sector-ID is typically substantially identical in each track of an individual servo sector as it propagates radially from inner diameter to outer diameter. The sector-ID may be a unique digital number identifying the specific servo sector, such as a sector-ID between one and 250 if there are 250 servo sectors in one track. The sector-ID may be split between several servo sectors to reduce the circumferential length of each servo sector; in this case, several servo sectors need to be read to determine the complete sector-ID. In some designs, the magnetic disk has a start of track mark and the controller includes a counter; in this case, a start of track mark resets the counter and the counter is incremented each time new a SAM is encountered by the read head to provide a running count for the complete sector-ID. In this specification, the term sector-ID is meant to include each of these possible designs.
The track-IDs are used to identify the particular radial position as the slider moves radially from the inner diameter to outer diameter. The track-ID is often written in a gray code digital format; there are many gray code formats and some formats encrypt the track-ID and/or provide error-correction redundancy. The track-ID can also be written using a plurality of phase patterns (e.g., chevron patterns), as demonstrated in FIGS. 4A, 4B, 8, and 10 of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 12/634,240 (“the '240”). The track-ID provides the controller with the radial position of the slider. The track-IDs can ascend in numerical value within a specific servo sector from inner diameter to outer diameter; the track-ID can be substantially identical within the sequential servo sectors of a specific track. The track-ID may be a unique digital number identifying the specific radial position, such as a number between one and 100,000 if there are 100,000 unique gray code numbers in the servo sector from the inner diameter to the outer diameter. There is usually not a one to one correspondence between magnetically written data tracks and gray code track-IDs. The track-ID may also be split between several servo sectors to reduce the circumferential length of the track-ID in each servo sector; in this case, several servo sectors need to be read to determine the complete track-ID. In this specification, the term track-ID is meant to include each of these possible designs.
Servo bursts are used to center the slider on the magnetically written data tracks. The servo bursts are used to create a position error signal used by the controller to make fine adjustments to the slider position and center it over a track. The servo burst can be: (i) an ABCD servo burst as demonstrated in U.S. Pat. No. 6,490,111 FIG. 4; (ii) a checkerboard servo burst as demonstrated in U.S. Pat. No. 6,643,082 FIG. 10 and U.S. Pat. No. 7,706,092 FIGS. 6 and 7; or (iii) a phase servo burst as demonstrated in the '581 FIG. 9 item 804. The '581 is incorporated herein by reference. The servo burst can be written with either a single magnetic polarity or with an alternating polarity as demonstrated in the '871. The read back signal of a servo burst will show a repeating series of isolated pulses generated from each magnetic transition. Checkerboard servo bursts with alternating polarity are often called DC-free null servo burst. Unlike the ABCD servo burst and checkerboard servo bursts, the phase servo bursts are configured with a slope. There is often not a one to one correspondence between the radial dimensions of track-IDs and the servo burst. The signal magnitude of a servo burst read back is typically used by the disk drive system electronics to identify a fraction of track-ID's width. Data tracks are usually identified by a combination of the servo data taken from a read back of the track-ID, servo burst strength, and/or RRO value. There is often not a one to one correspondence between the radial dimensions of a servo burst and a data track.
RRO values are determined usually during manufacturing and stored within the disk drive system for use during operation. If the RRO values are stored within the servo sectors, they are often stored as bits of information located after the servo burst.
Often there is a pad before and/or after the servo data. The pad does not necessarily include any specific data. The pad is used to accommodate read-to-write and write-to-read transition timing of the write driver, read signal preamplifier, and read-write channel.
Patterned magnetic disk designs have emerged recently to enhance the recording density by providing better track and/or bit isolation. For example, nano scale non-magnetic grooves may be patterned on the magnetic disk by removing magnetic material and leaving behind discrete tracks or bit “islands” of magnetic material. There are two common forms of patterned magnetic disk: Discrete Track Media (“DTM”) and Bit Patterned Media (“BPM”). In DTM, discrete tracks are patterned into the magnetic disk and data bits are magnetically written thereto. In BPM, individual bits may be patterned via track grooves and crossing bit grooves, creating islands of magnetic material. Both BPM and DTM establish data patterns where data may be magnetically written. Read back of pattern media will show magnetic transitions between the magnetized magnetic islands and non-magnetic grooves, such as in BPM; read back of pattern media will also show magnetic transitions occurring within a single magnetic island, such as in DTM. (Note that, unlike DTM or BPM, conventional non-patterned media has layers of magnetic material sputtered onto the entire front and back surfaces of the magnetic disk and there are typically no pre-formatted patterns).
In both BPM and DTM the disk patterning process can be used to create unique magnetic islands in the shape of various portions of the servo data. In U.S. Pat. No. 6,490,111 (“the '111”) FIG. 4, for example, the pattern imprint includes magnetic islands in the shape of all the intended final servo data, including the gray code track-ID. With the '111 design, the servo data is readable by the read head after bulk Direct Current (“DC”) magnetization (e.g., single magnetic polarity) of the magnetic islands because of the read back signal contrast between the presence and absence of magnetic material. The problem with this servo data writing approach, however, is that many of the available planarization constraints have difficulty dealing with the widely varying sizes and shapes of the gray code track-ID formats and sector-ID formats. Certain planarization constraints impose design rules on patterned magnetic disk. For liquid-based planarization, all non-magnetic grooves should be configured at or below a specified width that allows for the liquid to planarize the grooves through capillary forces. For dry planarization, such as vacuum deposit/etchback planarization, the ratio of magnetic island widths to non-magnetic groove widths needs to be constant everywhere (“Dry Planarization Design Rule #1”). It is also advantageous to ensure that magnetic island and non-magnetic groove widths are constant everywhere (“Dry Planarization Design Rule #2”). Servo patterns that comply with these planarization constraints are sometimes called planarization compatible servo (“PCS”) or planarization-compatible servo pattern (“PSP”).
An alternative approach to bulk DC magnetization of pre-patterned gray code track-ID, is to hard pattern only a portion of the servo data on the magnetic disk and fill in the remaining servo data by magnetically writing with the write head the desired servo data into the remaining portions of the servo pattern. This process has been called assisted servo track write for patterned media. In the '581, for instance, the servo pattern includes a single servo write assist pattern and a plurality of checkerboard sub-patterns. The servo write assist pattern is comprised of radial magnetic islands and radial non-magnetic grooves. The servo write assist pattern can also, as demonstrated in FIG. 6 of the '111, be comprised of circumferential magnetic rows and circumferential non-magnetic grooves. After assembly of the patterned magnetic disk into a disk drive system, the write head is used to magnetically write the track-ID in the servo write assist patterns. The writing of the track-ID by the write head does not change the shape of the magnetic islands and non-magnetic grooves of the servo write assist patterns.
A hybrid servo writing approach is to combine of small number of bootstrap patterns (which are operable after DC magnetization) and predominant servo write assist patterns (which require magnetic writing by the write head). The bootstrap patterns may include pre-patterned SAM patterns, gray code track-ID patterns, sector-ID patterns, and burst patterns that do not comply with the planarization constraints. The bootstrap patterns may be designed to comply with planarization constraints by using phase patterns (e.g., chevrons), such as shown in FIGS. 4A, 4B, 8, and 10 of the '240. With either pre-patterned gray code or phase patterns, the bootstrap patterns are operational after bulk DC magnetization of the magnetic disk. The bootstrap patterns are typically located at the inner diameter of the magnetic disk and used for track following during the servo track writing of an initial set of servo write assist patterns by the write head. After the initial set of servo write assist patterns have been written by the write head using the bootstrap patterns for track following, additional servo write assist patterns can be written by the write head by track following on this initial set. The servo write assist patterns comply with the planarization constraints. See, for example: U.S. patent application Ser. No. 12/800,300 FIGS. 4 and 5; and the '581 FIGS. 3, 5, 8, and 9. These references, however, do not address how best to write servo data across servo zone boundaries. Accordingly, there exists a need to provide a zoned servo architecture that enables robust servo writing beyond the writing of initial servo data, particularly addressing the need to write servo data across servo zone boundaries.